First record

I was listening to Sean Coyle last week, doing a marvellous job filling in for the unfilling-in-able Gerry Anderson on Radio Ulster ('for all your broadcasting needs'). Towards the end of the show he played Leo Sayer's 1973 hit , The Show Must Go On. If you don't know it, I wouldn't bother running out to get a copy. If only someone had said that to me the Saturday after Leo appeared on Top Of The Pops. For that record became 'The First Record I Ever Owned'. Which is not a very cool thing to admit. Should the first single not be a glam rock classic by Slade, or even a single by the Beatles ? Wouldn't it be a much better thing to be able to say 'Yes, the first single I ever bought was 'White Riot' by The Clash'. Yes it would, but it's better to tell the truth. Others made much wiser choices. Feargal Sharkey's first record purchase was '19th Nervous Breakdown.' Now that's cool, but it means he was seven years old when he bought it. That's perfectly feasible although when I first read his answer (it was a pop magazine questionnaire) I must admit I thought it was suspicious. He did grow up with older brothers and sisters who presumably were first generation Stones and Beatles fans.One of them must have reached in their pocket, ruffled his young hair and said 'There's six and eight pence, go out and buy yourself a record - and don't be coming back with anything by The Bachelors'. I, on the other hand, brought back a record by a singer who wore white Pierrot make up.